Coating apparatus



Dec. 23, 1941. H. w. GARBE COATING APPARATUS Filed April 10, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 23, 1941. H. w. GARBE GOATING APPARATUS 4 Sheelts-SheetI 5 Filed April l0, 1940 m, GQ

Dec. 23, 1941. H. w. GARBE COATING APPARATUS VFiled April 1o, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 vl am... M mm m y M6 m 6 l 4,. WW.. m .l L11., j@ .I\ .lllL y m 7 TM m L rl! Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES Paramv OFFICE 2,267,273 coA'rING APPARATUS Howard W. Garbe, Hinsdale, Ill.,\l assigner to WesternElectric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 10, 17940, Serial No. 328,839

13 Claims.

This invention relates to coating apparatus and more particularly to an automatic machine for applying a coat of solder to the terminals of electrical apparatus.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple apparatus for expeditiously applying a coating to parts of an article.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for applying a thin coating of solder to the terminals o a piece of electrical apparatus is provided wherein a plurality of carriers for receiving and holding articles are mounted on an endless conveyor which travels in a predetermined path adjacent a fluxing tank, a solder tank and a washing tank. Means are provided in the machine for causing clamping plates on the carriers to be reciprocated with respect to the endless conveyor for the purpose of dipping the terminals of articles held on the clamping plates into the fluxing tank, the solder tank and the washing tank. There is provided means for removing excess solder from the terminals of the article and returning it to the solder tank and this means includes mechanism for lifting the clamping plate and letting it drop by gravity to jar the excess solder from the terminals. The means for driving the conveyor which supports the carriers in their travel is conl trolled by a mechanism which, upon actuation, will supply power to the conveyor to move one of the carriers supported by the conveyor successively into association with the fluxing bath and the solder bath. This control mechanism is so arranged that it may be set at practically any time during a cycle of movement of the conveyor to initiate the next succeeding cycle. In other words, the control is so arranged that if the operator of a machine desires to have it operate continuously, he may set the control mechanism either before or after the completion of one fluxing and tinning operation to cause the machine to continue its operation and carry the next succeeding carrier into association with the fluxing and tinning baths by operating the controls at any time after the preceding carrier has started on its cycle. Each carrier has a mechanismen it for skimming the dross from the solder in the tank immediately before the terminals of the apparatus on the carrier are dipped in the solder.

Other objects and advantages of the present Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a tinning machine for tinning the terminals of telephone cross bar switch vertical units after the units have been assembled;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in elevation in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows and showing some of the details of construction of one of the carriers;

Fig.` 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows; v

Fig, 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing part of the mechanism for removing excess solder from the terminals;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 'I-l of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing some of the details of construction of the controls, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in plan of' the mechanism shown in Fig. 7, parts of the mechanism being broken away to more clearly illustrate the mode of operation and details of construction thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designateV the same parts throughout the several views, particular refer- 'ence being had to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral II designates, generally, a bench or table upon which the machine covered by the present invention may be positioned. Extending upwardly from the bench II are a pair of standards I2 and I3, which support a base plate I4, on which most of the apparatus comprising the machine is mounted. The base plate I4 has fixed thereto a bracket I5 for supporting one end of a motor mounting plate I6 on which there is positioned a driving motor I 'I for supplying power to drive the various moving parts of the apparatus. The power is transmitted from the motor I'I through a belt I8 to a speed reducer unit I9, which is mounted upon the plate I4, and transmits power to a shaft 20. The shaft 2li extends downwardly through thebase plate I4 and has a sprocket 2l fixed to it for driving a link chain 22. The upper end of the shaft 20 has a reduced portion which extends through the motor mounting plate I6 and the shaft 20 also has fixed to it a sprocket 23 for driving a chain 24. Mounted upon the left end of the base plate |4 is a bearing sleeve 36, in which there is, in turn, mounted a shaft 3| for driving a pair of idler sprockets 32 and 33, which are positioned at the same levels as the sprockets 23 and 2|, respectively, and cooperate with the sprockets 23 and 2| to support the lchains 24 and 22.

Fixed to the chains 22 and 24, and equally spaced about the length thereof, are a plurality of carriers, designated generally by the numeral 34. In the present embodiment of the invention, there are five of these carriers shown, but it will be' understood that any desired number could be provided which might be more or less than those shown, depending upon the proportions of the other parts of the apparatus. 'I'he details` of construction of one of the carriers 34 are shown on a relatively enlarged scale in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, and particular reference will now be had `to those views. tical in construction, only one of them will be described in detail.

The carrier 34 comprises a main supporting plate 36, which extends vertically between the chains 22 and 24 and which has suitably fixed to its upper end a horizontally extending plate 31. A pair of lugs 38 and 38 cooperate with the plate 31 to receive a pair of pins 46 and 4|, respectively, which pass `through spaced links in the chain 24 thereby to fix the main supporting plate 36 to the chain. The central portion of the upper end of the main supporting plate 36 is cut out, as shown at 42, to permit the links of the chain 24 to move into the plate 36 when Since all of the carriers are identhe links of the chain are in engagement with either the sprocket 23 or the sprocket 32. At the lower end of the plate 36 a similar construction is provided, which comprises a pair of lugs 43 and 44, a horizontally disposed plate 46 and pins 46 and 41, which serve to x the lower end of the plate to the chain 22. A cut out 48, similar to the cut out 42, is formed at the bottom of the plate to permit the chain 22 to enter the plate when the clamping assembly is moving around the sprockets 2| and 33.

Fixed to the faces of the plate 36 are a pair of guide members 46 and 66, which serve to guide a slidable clamping plate 6| in its movement with respect to the main supporting plate 36. The clamping plate 6| has fixed to it a rectangular block 62, which is slidable in a slot 63, formed in the main supporting plate and cooperates with the guide members 46 and 66 to guide the clamping plate 6| in its travel vertically with respect to the main supporting plate 36. Mounted on the block 62 is a cam roller 64, which cooperates I with cams, to be described hereinafter, for mov- .ing the clamping plate 6|` vertically with respect to the plate 36. Secured to the face of the clamping plate 6| is a support bracket 66 having a pair of' arms 6| and 62 adapted to receive a piece of electrical apparatus, the' terminals of which are to .be tinned. The bracket 66 has formed at its upper end a shoulder 63 having an angularly disposed face, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, against which a surface of the article being tinnedmay rest.

Extending outwardly to the left (Fig. 4) from the face of the clamping plate 6| is a clamp support 64, on which there is pivotally mounted a clamp 66provided with a handle 66. The lower or clamping end of the clamp 66 has a spring 61 fixed to it and to the clamp support 64 so that are being dipped into the solder.

when the clamp is in the position shown in Figs. l and 4, the spring 61 will cause the lower end of the clamp to engage a piece of electrical apparatus supported by the shoulder 63 and arms 6| and 62 on the clamping plate 6|. when the handle v66 is moved outwardly, the clamp will rock about its pivot to move the spring 61 past the pivot point of the clamp, whereupon the clamp will be held in its open or inoperative position. It will be noted that the clamp 66 is provided with a portion 66, which extends at right angles to the remainder of the clamp. This portion of the clamp will, when the handle 66 is moved in a clockwise direction (Fig. 4), pass through an aperture 16 in the plate 6| and an aperture 1| in the main supporting plate 36 when the plates are in the position shown in Figs. 3 and When the portion 66 of the clamp 66 moves into the apertures 16 and 1| to permit an article to be positioned on the supporting bracket 66, the spring 61 will hold the clamp in its inoperative position, and, in the event the operator fails to move the `clamp down to clamp an article on the bracket 60,' the clamp will be snapped into clamping position when the plate 6| moves downwardly due to the engagement of the portion 69 with the lower edgeof the aperture 1| in the plate 36,. thereby to insure that an article placed on the bracket will not be jarred from it in the operation of the apparatus.

The main supporting plate 36 carries a skimming. mechanism for skimming the dross from the surface of a solder pot 86 and the skimming mechanism is designated, generally, by the numeral 8|. The skimming mechanism 6| comprises a skimming blade 82, which is formed integrallyy with the base of a U-shaped member 63, the arms of which are apertured, as shown at 84-84, to receive a pin 6|. The pin 6| pivotally supports the U-shaped member 83 on a bracket 85, suitably fixed to the main supporting plate 36. Fixed to the U-shaped member 83 at the juncture of its base and one of its arms is a trip rod 86, adapted to engage a pin 81 positioned adjacent the leading end of the solder pot 86 during the passage of a carrier 34 into association with the solder pot 86. A leaf spring 88 is fixed at one end to a 'stud 86 projecting from. the plate 36 and bears against a second stud 66 to hold the free end of the spring in engagement with one of the arms of the u -shaped member 83, thereby to hold the U-shaped member either in the position shown in solid lines or 'the position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 3. When the trip rod 86 strikes the pin s1, the skimming blade s2 win be moved to the dot and dash line position and will be held there by the vspring 88 during the travel of the carrier 34 past the solder pot and will scape the dross from the surface of the solder in the solder pot while the terminals of the apparatus being coated As socn as the carrier 34 moves to the point where the skimming blade 82 strikes the edge of the solder pot 86, the U-shaped member 83 will be rocked about the pin 6|l tothe position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, and it will be held in that position until the trip rod 86 again strikes the pin 81 the next time the carrier 34 moves into position over the solder pot.

However,

on which the roller 54 bears, as seen in Figs. 3`

and 4, serves to carry the clamping plate in a raised position, as shown, until the piece of electrical apparatus carried on the supporting bracket 60 is in vertical alignment with a flux tank |09. As the carrier 34 reaches a position where the article supported by it is directly above the flux tank |09, the roller 54 will travel down the inclined surface at the end of the cam |06 to move the terminals shown in dot and dash lines at ||0 of the electrical apparatus into a flux solution in the flux tank |09 and after dipping the terminals l0 in the solution in the tank |09 the roller 54 will engage the inclined surface of the cam |04 to carry the clamping plate 5| upwardly with respect to the main supporting plate 36 and thereby move the terminals ||0 out of the flux tank. As the carrier 34 travels across the front of the machine, the roller 54 will next engage the inclined surface at the left end of the cam |04 (Fig. 1) and ride down the surface of the cam to dip the terminals |0 in a bath of molten solder'in the pot 80, which maybe heated in any suitable manner to maintain the solder in a molten condition. The roller 54 will, in succession, engage the cams |01, |08, |05 and |06 to carry the terminals, as will be described more in detail in connection with the description of the operation of the apparatus, through the flux tank |09, the solder pot 80 and a washing solution contained in a Wash tank Referring now to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, it will be noted that adjacent its lower end the main supporting plate 36 has fixed to it a pair of guide members ||2 and ||3 in which there is slidably mounted a bumping plate ||4, which has a pair of arms ||5 and ||6 formed on it and extending into slots ||1 and 8, respectively, formed in the plate 36. Mounted in the rear end of the bumping plate ||4 is a cam roller ||9 adapted to cooperate with a cam fastened on the base plate |4. The bumping plate ||4 is normally urged to the rear (upwardly in Figs. 2 and 5 and to the right in Fig. 6) by a pair of springs |2| and |22 seated in pockets |23 and |24, respectively, formed in the bumping plate, said springs engaging the rear surface ofthe main supporting plate 36 and normally urging the plate ||4 to engage abutments |25 and |26 formed on the guide members ||3 and ||2. The bumping plate |I4 is provided to take up the shock of the clamping plate 5| after it rides off of the high cams |01 and |08 and drops by gravity to jar excess solder from the terminals ||0, the arms ||5 and ||6 of the bumping plate being normally retracted out of the path of the clamping plate 5|, but being moved by the cam |20 to the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6 when the cam roller |I9 engages the cam |20.

At the bottom of each of the carriers 34, there is a cam xed to the main supporting plate 36. This cam |35 is formed integrally with the plate and engages a roller |36 mounted. on the free end of a U-shaped lever, designated generally by the numeral |31, and comprising a base |38 extending vertically and two arms |39 and |40 extending horizontally. 'I'he upper arm of the lever |31 has a roller |36 mounted upon it and the lower arm |39 of the lever |31 (Fig. 7) is pivotally connected to a push rod I4|. The lever |31 is pivotally mounted on a post |42 having a reduced portion |43 which extends through the arms |39 and |40 of the lever and provides a pivot for it.

Mounted upon the base plate is a mounting plate |44 on which there are fixed a pair of brackets |45 and |46. The bracket |46 has positioned thereon a switch box |41, in which there are mounted a start button |46 and a stop button |49. The start button is of the normally open type and the stop button is of the normally closed type and both are connected in series with a source of current supply |50 -to a relay |5| so that if either of the buttons close their circuit, the relay will be operated and will connect the current supply |50 across the motor |1 to cause it to operate. bracket |45 and has mounted at its end (the lower end in Fig. 8) a sleeve |53 in which there is slidable a plunger |54 having a, button |55 mounted on the outer end thereof (left end, Fig. 8). The right end of the plunger v| 54 (Fig. 8)

is in direct alignment with the start button |48 and the plunger has a. coil spring |56 surrounding it and interposed between the button |55 and theV sleeve |53 normally to urge the plunger |54 to the left, a pin |51 seated in the plunger |54 and positioned in a slot |58 formed in the sleeve |53, preventing movement of the plunger to the left (Fig. 8) beyond the position shown. The sleeve |53 is cut away, as shown at |59, to permit a slidable plate |6| to enter the notchA |60 in the plunger |54. The slidableplate |6| is mounted upon the plate |52by means of a pair of guide members |62 and |63, which permit the plate |6| to slide with respect to the plate |52. Fixed to the plate |6| is a pin |64 having a spring |65 attached to it and to a pin |66 mounted in the guide member |63. The spring |65 tends to move the plate I 6| into the notch |60 in the plunger |54 and when the plunger |54 is moved to the right (Fig. 8) the plate |6|will snap into the notch |60 to hold the plunger |54 in its right hand position where the start button |48 will close its associated circuit and through the relay |5| supply current to the motor |1.

A sleeve |15 is fixed in the bracket |46 and serves to guide the push rod |4| in its movement. Surrounding a portion of the sleeve |15, and in engagement with the left-hand surface (Fig. 8) of the bracket |46, is a coil spring |16, the other end of which abuts an arm |11 xed to the push rod |4| and carrying at its free end a stop button actuating plunger |18. Since the contacts controlled by the stop button |49 are normally closed, it will be apparent that each time the push rod |4| is moved to the'right (Fig. 8), it will open the circuit to the relay 5| unless the circuit to the relay |5| is closed through the contacts associated with the start buttons |48.

Formed in the left end (Fig. 8) of the push rod |4| is a slot |19 in which there is pivotally mounted a trip latch normally urged to rotate about its pivot in a counter-clockwise direction Aby a spring |8|.. The free end of the trip latch |80, when the pushrod 4| is in the position shown, enters a slot |82 and rests against a pin |83 which extendsv through the slot |62 and is mounted on the plate |52. 'I'he trip latch A plate |52 is fixed to theA servos to move the plato m out o: tno noton |00, a-s will be described more in detail hereinafter, to permit the plunger |54 .to move to the left and into the position shown at a predetermined time in the cycle of operation of the machine.

A betterunderstanding of the invention will be had by reference to the following brief description of the mode of operation of the various details of the apparatus, which have been described hereinbefore. When the apparatus is at rest, the carriers 04 will stop in substantially the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2. where one of them is just about to dip the terminals into the flux tank |00, two of them are in a position where the terminals I |0 of the apparatus being tinned are in the wash tank one of them is in a position where it has just passed through the solder pot 00 and has passed over the two bumping cams |01 and |00, and the fifth one is en route to the wash tank after having passed through the ux tank and solder pot. The carrier 04, shown adjacent to the ilux tank |09, is at the loading and unloading position of the apparatus where an operator may remove an article, the terminals of which have been coated with solder, and replace it with an article, the terminals of which are to be coated. In order to position an article on the carrier 04 in position to be coated, the operator raises the handle 00 until the springs `01 move past the pivot point, whereupon the clamp will snap to bath of solder and remove dross therefrom in the area in which the terminals are to drop into the solder.

Vdirectiornoftllechainswillcausethecamreller its fully open position and remain in that posiy tion until the clamp 65 is manually or automatically moved to the clamping position as'ahown most clearly in Fig. 4. After an article has been placed on the carrier 04, and it will be under-- stood that in the herein-'disclosed embodiment of the invention the apparatus is particularly adapted to apply a coating of solder to the terminals of'a telephone cross bar switch vertical unit, which is a device having a large number of terminals extending from it, the operator may push the button |55 to the right (-Fig. 8) to close the circuit through the contacts of the start button |48 and through the relay |0|. The

relay |5| will then connect the source oi' currenty supply |50 through the motor |1 and the motor will drive the chains 22 and 24. Shortly after the motor |1 starts to operate, the carrier 04, which has just been loaded with an article to be coated, will move to the position where the cam rolle;` 54 will ride down the inclined surface of the cam |06 to dlp the terminals ||0 in the ilux solution in the ilux tank |00 and continued movement of the chains in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) will carry this carrier 04 into position where the roller 54 will engage the cam |04 and ride up onto its upper surface, it being understood that the clamping plate `5| will, by gravity, follow the path of the roller 54 along the camming surfaces of the various cams. Continued movement of the chains 22 and 24 in a clockwise direction will then carry thecarrier 34 oi of cam |04, the clamping plate 5| will again move downwardly to dip the terminals `3, where the skimming blade will reach into the l4torideuptheinclinedsurfaceoftheoams |01 and |00 in succession and drop l1! gravity down the vertical surfaces thereof. Just before the cam roller'04 reaches the #op of cam |01, cam |20 becomes effective to move the bumping plate ||4 to the positions shown in Figs. 5 and 0, where it will have its arms ||0 and ||0 in the path of clamping plate 0| so that when the cam roller 04 passes oi! the tip of the cams |01 and |00 and drops the platel 0| downwardly, the bottom edge of the plate 0| will strike the arms H0 and ||0 of the bumping plate ||4 to iar the excess solder from the terminals. The clamping plate 0| will beheld up bythe arms ||0 and ||0 untilthecamrolleruisoverthecam Illand as soon as thecam roller 04 isin vertical alignment with the cam |0l,`the cam roller ||0 will ride on the surface of the cam |20 and vpermit the springs |2| and |22 to move the bumping plate out o! association with the clamping plate 5|, thereby to permit the cam roller 04 to drop down onto the cam Illand carry the plate 0| at that height onto the wash tank As'ie carrier 04 carries the skimming blade 02 past the end of the solder pot 00, the skimming blade will engage the edge of the solder pot and be snapped back to its inoperative position, as

shown in solid lines in Fig. 3. If the chains 22 and 24 continue to move in a clockwise direcl to dip the terminals in the wash tank||| wherel they will be cleaned and cooled and still further movement of the chains will carry the carrier 04 up onto the cam |00 and back to the loading aan: unloading position adjacent the nu! tank riers 04 is equipped with a cani |00 and that if the button |50 is operated only once each clamping assembly will move through approximately one-nfth of its cycle about the sprockets 2|, 00, 02 and 00 due to the fact that the cam |00 on the nextsucceeding clamping assembly 04 will stop theV clamping assemblies in substantially the position shown in Fig. 2. Cam |05 is effective to stop the clamping assemblies in the position shown in Fig. 2 due to its engagement with the cam roller |00, which will cause the U-shaped lever |01 to rock about its pivot on tno roduoeo portion m of the post m. As tno ,y

spring |10, thereby to carry the plunger |10 into the position shown, where it will open the circuit at the stop button |40 to disconnect the source of current supply from the motor I1. When the push button |00 was pushed to the right on the initial cycle of operation. it closed the circuit at the start button |40 and the slidable plate I0 -was permitted to move under control of the spring |00 into the notch |00, thereby locking the circuit closed at the push button |40. However, as soon ascam roller |00 moves oif of the cam |05, thereby permitting th spring |10 to move the push rod |4| to the loft Continued movement in a clockwise It will be understood that each of the car- (Fig. 8), two things occur. First, the push button |49 closes the circuit to the relay |5| and then further movement of the rod |4| to the left will cause the trip latch |80 to engage the edge of the slot |82 in the slidable plate |6| and cam the plate upwardly (Fig. 8) out of the notch |60, whereby the spring |56 will be permitted to move the plunger |54 to the left and open the circuit at the push button |48. It will thus be apparent that current is supplied to the relay through the normally closed contacts of push button |49 during the period when none of the cams |35 are engaging the cam roller |36 and that as soon as a cam |35 engages the cam roller |36, the circuit will be opened at the push button I 49 unless the button |55 had been operated a second time after cam roller |36 was disengaged from the cam |35 on the preceding carrier 34.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described hereinbefore, it will be understood that it is subject to many modifications and adaptations, without departing from applicants invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coating apparatus of the type including an endless conveyor having a series of article carriers mounted thereon, a main supporting plate in each article supporting assembly, a plate slidable with respect to said main supporting plate, and means for controlling movement of the shiftable plate with respect to the main supporting plate including a cam of such conguration as to raise the plate and then permit it'to drop by gravity, and a retractable stop movable into the path of the shiftable plate to stop its movement suddenly when it drops,y by gravity, thereby to jar excess coating material from the article being coated.

2. In a coating apparatus of the type including an endless conveyor having a series of article carriers mounted thereon, a main supporting plate in each carrier, a plate slidable with respect to said main supporting plate, means for raising the slidable plate with respect to the main supporting plate including a cam of such configuration as to raise the plate and then permit it to drop by gravity and a retractable stop movable into the path of the shiftable plate to stop its movement suddenly when it drops by gravity, thereby to jar excess coating material from the article being coated, and a clamp mounted on the slidable plate and having a portion which projects through the slidable plate for engagement with and actuation by a portion of the main supporting plate when the slidable plate moves in one direction with respect to the main supporting plate to render the clamp effective.

3. In a coating apparatus` which includes an endless conveyor and a series of article carriers on said conveyor, means for driving said conveyor, control means for controlling the operation of the driving means including a pair of switches connected in parallel, manually operable means for closing one of said switches, and a cam actuated mechanism for releasing said closed switch and closing the other switch in parallel therewith, said cam actuated mechanism being actuated by a cam positioned on each" of said carriers.

4. In an article coating apparatus, a plurality of containers, means for dipping articles in said containers including a conveyor, carriers on the conveyor for supporting the articles, a motor for driving the conveyor, and means for controlling the motor including a manually operable start switch, a mechanically operable stop switch,

means on each carrier for operating the stop switch, and means for temporarily rendering the stop switch inoperative to stop the motor.

5. In an article coating apparatus, a plurality of containers, means for dipping articles in said containers including a conveyor, carriers on the cpnveyor for supporting the articles, a motor for driving the conveyor, and means for controlling the motor including a manually operable start switch, means for holding said switch closed, a normally closed stop switch, means connected to said stop switch for releasing the holding means, and means on each carrier for actuating the stop switch to open it.

6. In a coating apparatus for applying a coating to the terminals of electrical units, a conveyor, means for supporting electrical units on the conveyor, means for raising and lowering the units with respect to the conveyor to dip the terminals of the units into a coating solution, and means movable into the path of part of the raising and lowering means to interrupt the movement of the units abruptly to shake excess coating material from the terminals.

7. In an apparatus for applying a coating of solder to the terminals of electrical units, aconveyor, a plurality of unit carriers on the conveyor, means for moving the units with respect to the conveyor, a bath of molten solder associated with said raising and lowering device, and a skimming mechanism mounted on each carrier for skimming the surface of the solder of the bath before the terminals are dipped in the bath.

8. In an apparatus for applying a coating of solder to the terminals of electrical units, a conveyor, a plurality of unit carriers on the conveyor,A

means for moving the units with respect to the conveyor, a bath of molten solder associated with said raising and lowering device, a skimming mechanism mounted on each carrier for skimming the surface of the solder of the bath before the terminals are dipped in the bath, said skimming mechanism comprising a normally retracted skimming blade, means for moving the skimming blade out of its retracted position, and means for returning the skimming blade to its retracted position after it has skimmed the surface of the solder.

9. In a coating apparatus of the type including y an endless conveyor having a series of article carriers thereon, a fluxing tank, a solder tank, a cleaning tank, means associated with the conveyor for dipping Kparts of articles into the tanks, a skimming mechanism mounted on each carrier, means associated with the solder tank for moving said skimming mechanism to operative position, and means for normally holding the skimming mechanism in its inoperative position.

l0. In a coating apparatus of the type including an endless conveyor having a series of article carriers thereon, a fluxing tank, a solder tank, a cleaning tank, means associated with the conveyor for dipping parts of articles into the tanks, a. skimming mechanism mounted on each carrier, means associated with the solder tank for moving said skimming mechanism to operative position, means for normally holding the skimming mechanism in its inoperative position, said skimming mechanism comprising a normally retracted blade, means for supporting said blade, and means for normally holding the blade in retracted position.

11. In an article coating apparatus, a plurality I of containers, means for dipping articles in said containers, including a conveyor, carriers on the conveyor for supporting the articles, a motor for driving the conveyor, and means for controlling the motor including a manually operable start switch, means for holding said switch closed, 9T normally closed stop switch, trip mechanism operable by the stop switch for releasing the holding means, and means on each carrier for actuating the stop switch to open it.

13. In an article coating apparatus. a plurality of containers, means for dipping articles in said containers including a conveyor, carriers on the conveyor for supporting the articles, a motor for driving the conveyor,and means i'or controlling the motor including a manually operable start switch, means for holding said switch closed, a normally closed stop switch, trip mechanism operable by the stop switch for releasing the holding means, means on each carrier for actuating the stop switch to open it, and means operable by the start switch for rendering the trip mechanism temporarily ineilective to release the holding means.

HOWARD W. GARBE. 

